Self Actualization
by TheWriterChick89
Summary: FKA Kiss me at midnight. Series of Oneshots. There are some moments in life that you can never forget. Those are the little tidbits that shape who you are. Mostly KyoTohru. Newest: Valentines
1. Kiss Me At Midnight: Christmas

**Kiss me at Midnight - A Fruits Basket Fanfic**  
By Aikou-chan

A/N: This is a **VERY late Fruits Basket Xmas fic**. I hope that it meets the standards of all the Kyo+Tohru fans out there (Long Live The Cat and the Onigiri!) And it's got some MAJOR WFF. And if you like _Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle,_ go check out my story "Don't Run" on or if you like romantic comedies, go check out my account (under the same name) on please, enjoy!

* * *

Snowflakes began to rain down on the houses – you know, the big, fluffy kind – covering the town in a rich, thick blanket. Most families would be sitting by the fire and watching out their windows at the weather, probably enjoying a nice cup of hot cocoa while inhaling the piney scent of a Christmas tree. 

But then again, this is just for _most_ families.

* * *

In one house in particular, the Christmas tree stood undecorated, even though it was already Dec. 24; half the house was snowed in; the kitchen was in too much of a mess to make anything, let alone hot cocoa; and now, the roof was leaking. 

Tohru Honda stared up at the ceiling in her room in dismay, as melted snow started to drip through the patch job that had remained there for the last 7 months. Her bottom lip trembled as she watched each drop fall to the rug, creating a dark, wet patch. _I'm going to have to clean that up when I get home … _she thought. _After I help with the carnival at school, and after I clean the kitchen, and make supper, and finish the presents-_

"Tohru-chan!" one of her housemates suddenly called up the stairs. "You're going to be late!"

A sudden glance at the clock proved he was right. Yelping, she quickly grabbed the 'presents' she was preparing and hid them underneath her bed, far away from where they could be in danger from the dripping roof. Then, she took her book bag and ran out of her room, and was about to run down the stairs when she crashed into a family member at the bottom.

Tohru sat up quickly, rubbing her head. "Itai … " she muttered, and yelped again as she saw the orange cat that lay on the ground nearby. Her face fell. "I'm sorry, Kyo-kun … "

The cat just shook himself off and sighed. "Forget it, … " it muttered before pounding off into the kitchen.

Tohru sighed again. _That's the fifth time I've bumped into him this week. _Remembering that she didn't want to be around when Kyo turned back to human – and of course, would be _naked_ – she stood up and brushed herself off. "I'm going to school now! Bye!"

In the kitchen, the man who called out Tohru's name raised an eyebrow at her announcement. "But Tohru!" he whined. "You haven't eaten anything yet!"

"It's alright!" she called back. "I'll just eat at the cafeteria! Bye!" and with the slamming of a door, she was gone.

The man, Shigure, sighed in disappointment, and went back to drinking his coffee. At that moment, Yuki, another housemate, was washing the dishes – "What do you suggest I eat off of – the floor? It's a lot cleaner than these dishes, I'll tell you that much" - when Kyo walked into the room. He smirked. "You just keep throwing yourself on her, don't you?"

The hair on the cat's back shot up and he glared at the Zodiac member. "BRING IT, RAT!" He shouted, ready for a fight.

But before he could pounce, Shigure reached out and yanked his tail. "No fighting. I don't want you breaking any doors – it's too cold out for that."

Kyo glared at him. "If you're so damn cold, why don't you just stay in your dog form?"

Shigure looked at him in mock surprise. "Why, I never thought of that! – Except, I would have to be hugging Tohru-chan the entire time-"

"FORGET IT!" both the cat and the rat screamed.

Yuki growled under his breath and looked back at the dishes. There was an extremely big pile of them; it was bigger than normal, even for Tohru. "Does anybody else notice that Honda-san is a little … off, lately?"

Shigure nodded. "She does seem so much more scatter-brained than normal." He looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe because of the Winter Carnival … "

Kyo turned to Shigure in surprise. "SHE'S helping out with that stupid thing!"

Shigure nodded, and a sly smile suddenly came to his face. "Yes, I think she was working on the Dance committee … she'll be at the dance the entire time … standing in a corner … all alone …"

Yuki and Kyo both froze for a moment ….

…. Before asking at the same time, "Is it possible to dance with someone without hugging them?"

The two stared at each other in shock while Shigure's peals of laughter filled the room.

* * *

Kyo, now back in his human form, walked down the hallway on the upper floor, heading to his bedroom. He noticed that Tohru's door was open, and he heard a constant noise coming from it. Curious, of course, and ignoring the old saying about "curious" and "cats", he looked inside, only to be greeted with the dripping ceiling. 

He grimaced, as a building knot of guilt washed over him. _Geez, Tohru_ … he thought to himself. _Why's everything getting out of whack around here!_

Kyo paused, when he suddenly noticed something on the outer edges of the puddle that had formed. There was a large paper bag underneath the bed, with big letters reading IMPORTANT on the side … and, naturally, the puddle was just mere inches away from it.

Using his cat-like speed, he ran over and grabbed it before the water reached the so-called precious item. Unfortunately, he picked it up too quickly, and some of the contents spilled on the bed.

It was an orange scarf, with fringes only on one side, and there were embossed letters on one side, reading K-Y-

He stopped and stuffed it back into the bag before he could ruin it – or, suddenly run a very high fever (if you know what I mean ). He panted as his heart beat fast. _She-She isn't making that for ME, is she! … Holy Crap, does that mean I have to get something for her! LIKE WHAT! SHIT!

* * *

_

It was halfway through the day at the schools Winter Carnival. Most classes had events going on in their rooms, like computer games made by students or ring toss or shops, while others were posing as cafe's, serving refreshments and treats.

Tohru was on the Dance Committee, so at the moment she was putting the last minute touches on the decorations in the gym. She stood on top of a ladder, holding up a green-foil streamer in a corner while someone else held the other end. When she got the heads-up to tape it in place, she did so, but only seconds previous to something bumping into her ladder.

"TOHRU-CHAN!" someone screamed before her ladder started to wobble.

She screamed too, as she fell - right into Hatsuharu's arms. She blushed quickly, as Momiji - who had knocked Tohru off the ladder in the first place - quickly shoved the two behind the bleachers, before Hatsuharu transformed.

Tohru started to stutter as she saw the cow. "I'm Sorry, Hatsuharu-kun!"

The cow just looked away. "No biggie."

In the darkness of the bleachers, Momiji bowed to Tohru. "Sorry, Tohru-chan. I got excited."

She smiled at him and patted his head. "It's alright, Momiji-kun - Hey," she thought out loud. "Where's Yuki and Kyo-kun?"

Hatsuharu looked back. "Yuki can't get out of the grade eight cafe - all the girls just want to serve him all this stuff for free. And Kyo hasn't come to school yet."

Tohru's mouth dropped open in shock. "He's Skipping School!"

The cow shrugged. "He said he had to go out and buy stuff." He nudged his nose against her elbow in reassurance. "But don't worry about it – they'd just get pissed that I told you if you got worried sick about him."

Tohru smiled down at the cow. When he was his nice, white state, he was a really sweet caring guy. He would make some girl happy one day … _that is, until they see his black side and get the crap scared out of him_, she suddenly realized.

At that moment, there was a loud poof of smoke, and Tohru only remembered at the last minute to turn around when Haru popped up butt-naked. Tohru started panting and blushing when he started to change. "S-S-S-Sorry!"

"Nothing to be sorry about, Tohru," he said when he did up the buttons on his shirt. "Hey, when's the dance start, anyways?"

Tohru put a fist to her mouth, trying to remember. "I think around four … I won't be going home until later, though … " she said as they left their hiding spot behind the bleachers-

"Hey!"

Only to have Uo shout at them. Momiji and Tohru winced when the blonde screamed at them, walking over with Hanajima, antenna and all. Uo stabbed a finger to Hatsuharu's chest, glaring at him. "Why's Tohru-chan coming out from there all red? Did you do something to her, you bastard? Molestation? Groping? Rape!"

Tohru yelped and waved her hands in defense, scared that Black Haru would come out. "N-No, Uo-chan! It's just hot under that thing – we just needed to talk in private! I'm fine, really!"

Uo sent wary glances at the two boys, but her eyes settled on Momiji. He just smiled at her, tilting his head. She finally rolled her eyes. "If you say so … even I'd get freaked out with that little "it" following me around … "

"Who you calling "it", Bitch!"

Tohru sweat dropped. _Well, so much for stopping Black Haru …

* * *

_

The gym wasn't damaged too badly after the fight. People were still talking, about how Uo was actually keeping up a pretty good fistfight with a guy, hours later. And now, it was eight o clock, and the dance was in full swing.

Eminem and Ciara and Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne and tons of other American chart-toppers were playing full blast on the speakers that the DJ provided, while teenagers hopped around on the floor to the music. Smoke from the smoke machines surrounded them, making the multi-colored spotlights show more.

Amongst the darkness, Tohru stood in the corner, holding a small, wrapped package in her hands, staring desperately out into the dark gymnasium. She had already given out her presents to the others. Momiji loved his scarf of pink and orange, and wore it all the way from lunch till … well, she didn't know if he was still wearing it now. He had gone home with Hatsuharu already, who had tried to kiss her in thanks for his own black and white scarf, but Yuki stopped him and hit him on the head to stop the "Black-Haru" process. And when she gave Yuki his present – a light gray and blue scarf – he smiled and said her present was at home; a new hair clip was sitting wrapped up on her bed. She thanked him, and told him to go on home. She would go home with Kyo. Besides, Yuki was about to be bombarded with his fan-club member's gifts, as they ran down the hallway to reach him.

Only, she hadn't seen the cat boy. No one had all day. Tohru sighed in defeat. _It's ok … he didn't know that I wanted to walk home with him …it's not his fault._

"Hey, Tohru-chan!"

She looked up to see someone from the dance committee walking up to her, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. "You can go home early – I'll take over."

"Y-You sure? I could stay longer, if you want-"

"Don't worry about it. You've been working hard enough today."

She smiled and bowed. "Arigatou! Merry Christmas!" And left the gym, just as loud, sappy Nsync music was playing. Once she reached her locker and retrieved her homework for the break, and her coat and scarf, she started to walk to the door …

_This was a good Winter Carnival,_ Tohru thought with a smile on her face. _Everybody liked their presents, the dance is going smoothly, and the café's that ran today all did well … _but then she looked down at the remaining present in her hand. She had looked at ten different stores to find some kind of wrapping paper that had cats on it. Finally, she uncovered one that had a yellow background, with orange cats wearing red Santa hats flying around on it.

Tohru sighed in disappointment. "I guess I'll give it to him when I get home … "

When she reached the door, she saw a shadow of a person waiting there …

"Kyo?"

Kyo looked up when Tohru noticed him, about ten feet away. She rushed up to him, shivering from the open doorway as the snow outside began to fall softly against the evening sky. She smiled up at him. "I've been looking for you all day!"

Kyo blushed at the thought of her worrying over him – only to be mad at himself a second later. He put a hand behind his head and looked away from her. "Y-Yeah … I didn't come to school today. I was out … shopping."

Tohru nodded. "Yes, Hatsuharu-kun told me about that. But you're here now, and that's what matters!" _Now I can give it to him!_

Only, she had no idea how much those words had gotten Kyos' heart pounding. He gulped and faced her – only to have the package with the cat wrapping paper handed to him.

He gulped, knowing what this was, and dreading this moment. She just smiled at him. "Merry Christmas, Kyo-kun!"

Biting his lip, Kyo carefully took the package and unwrapped it slowly. It revealed the orange scarf that he had found not even twenty-four hours ago. Now with fringes on both ends, he saw that it was a color that perfectly matched his hair. She had sown on pre-made embossed letters, which spelt out "KYO" on the left end of the scarf. He smiled as he looked down at it, and then back up at her. "Thank you … Tohru-chan."

Tohru barely ever heard him call her by that, so she was smiling happily and almost giggled, as Kyo lifted it up and put the scarf around his neck – only to sneeze a second later.

Tohru gasped. "Oh No, You're Catching A Cold!" Quickly, before he could stop her, she grabbed the ends of the scarf and wrapped them around each other to keep his neck warm. When that was done, she zipped up his open jacket, and patted the scarf. She smiled up at him. "There you go."

Kyo heard his heart pounding in his ears, as their closeness when from four feet to one. He got lost in her brown eyes for a moment, the twinkle of happiness that shone behind it every time he saw her …

He cleared his throat and reached into his pocket. _It's now or never. _"I-I have something for you, too."

Tohru blinked in surprise. "Wha? You didn't have to get me anything, Kyo-ku-"

"I know I didn't have to," he interrupted her, pulling out a tiny black box. "I wanted to." He handed it to her. "I saw it and … it just screamed "Tohru.""

Still surprised, Tohru carefully took the box in her hands, and took off the top of it delicately. She gasped at what she saw inside. "Oh, Kyo!"

It was a wide, burgundy, silk-ribbon chocker, with a matching flower on the right side of it. Smiling in delight, she brushed her hair back and secured the clasp of it around her neck. Once in place, she brushed her hand over the fabric flower. "Oh, Kyo, I love it! It's beautiful!"

"Like I said," he started to say, clearing his throat in between and looking away from her with a blush. "It was just like you."

For once, Tohru wasn't her dense self. She blushed as well, staring up at him in confusion. _He just called me beautiful …?_

Kyo coughed again, and spoke before she would start talking about how they should get somewhere warm so he wouldn't get sick. "A-And I have something else for you too."

Tohru blinked again, wondering what he meant, until he pointed his finger up above them.

Mistletoe.

He had bought it beforehand, and, realizing that this exit was closest to Tohru's locker, he had strategically placed it there.

Kyo watched the girl as she stared up at the sprig, her soft brown hair floating with the small breeze, her cheeks getting pink from the cold – or his actions. Could be both – and her brown eyes wide in confusion. When she had first shown up at the Sohma house, he had been such a mean, crabby, crude … well, he had just been a brat. But ever since she started to be around him some more, she changed him … he was actually proud of being the cat, what with her constant adoration of him. Whenever he was stuck in his cat form because of a storm, she could always sit him on her lap and pet him.

He only purred for her.

And of course, never heard the end of it from Shigure later.

Tohru gulped when she looked down at him again, and she noticed something in his eyes … they were filled with care, and kindness whenever he stared at her. Unlike the first few times they had met, where they were filled with anger and hate. But she still liked Kyo, no matter what mood – or form – he was in.

She might even have a crush on him.

Slowly, Kyo took another step forward, careful to get close enough for the moment, but not too close to ruin it by turning into a feline. The confused girl watched as his right hand came up to her neck, his fingers brushing against the flower, and then resting on her cold cheek. _His hands are so warm, _she thought to herself.

Kyo tried to move forward but stopped, his body too scared about what he was going to do. If him and Tohru got together … well, how could they ever be together? The only kind of physical contact the curse would allow was with the hands and mouth. And what if Akito hated it? He already hated Tohru. Kyo didn't want her to be hurt like Kana was because of Hatori. What if? What If?

But he ignored it, for once. _I don't care,_ he thought. _I care about her. And I know she does too._

He leaned down once, hesitated, bit his lip, before he closed his eyes and slowly began to lean his face down to hers. Realizing what he was going to do, but still in shock, Tohru watched with wide eyes as his face loomed closer and closer … only to have his mouth fall on hers.

An instant blush spread to her cheeks, her entire face flaming … until she realized how nice it felt. His lips were soft and warm, and were perfectly comfortable in this cold weather. Slowly, they started to pull back just a bit, only to close down on hers once more with a firmer pressure on her lips.

Her body started to get warm, and she forgot how cold she was, wearing her skirt outside.And her heart started to pound harder and harder … but in a good way. She stared at his closed eyes for a moment, as they looked deep in concentration, and the blush that formed around his nose. Slowly, her eyelids started to fall, and she placed the same amount of pressure back at him.

Responding, Kyo put his other hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer only by the tiniest bit. They both continued for a while, giving just small, heartfelt kisses, forgetting the cold, forgetting where they were, forgetting that there was supper and two very confused Somas sitting at home …

All they thought about was each other.

Finally, running out of breath, the two pulled back at the same time, but Kyo kept his forehead against Tohru's. As they both panted, Kyo swallowed and whispered to her, "Merry Christmas, Tohru."

Tohru smiled at him in return, as emotions ran through her brain like a bullet train. "Merry Christmas, Kyo."

With that, he bent down for another kiss … and this one didn't stop for a long time.

* * *

The End

* * *

A/N: Uhhh, happy belated christmas? I made this for a contest for my school's club, but never got around to handing it in or putting it up or even FINISHING it until recently. 

Seriously, though - **REVIEW.**I review every story I read. You should too.

Luv ya all! And go check out my other stories - just go to my bio page!  
>>Aikou-chan


	2. Dance with me: Prom

A/N: Wow, I'm surprised so many people like a story that was put up so many months after Xmas: ) makes me happy, though …

I realized that there's kind of more than just that one shot that I wanted to write, so I'm making this into a one-shot series. I'm calling it … uhh …. Life? No, that title's used too much. Ummmm …. Existence? No- OO! I got it! Self-Actualization! I have recently been achieving such a thing … anyways, onward with the story!

This chap is for my brother, because he just graduated (checks calendar) yesterday … wow that was sad. I couldn't even remember that his banquet was yesterday. Oh well.

Here you go!

* * *

Prom-Night

* * *

Nobody is even listening to the historian.

Honestly; look at him up there. It's that jock from the basketball team that everybody loves. He's up there with his stupid tux that his parents got for him, and he's probably not even going to wear it ever again. Unlike that stupid smug smirk on his face. The same one he wore last night at commencement; when they called his name and some girls screamed, "I Love You!" or "You're So Hot!"

Ok, I shouldn't talk. It happened to that damn Yuki too … and, well, me. But I didn't enjoy it.

My god, how much longer is he going to talk for! It's been, what – 15 minutes already? The dance was supposed to start a half-hour ago!

Well, it's not like I've got any after-parties to go to. We're just staying at this dance as long as possible, and then maybe going to a friend's house.

The decorations aren't that bad, though. I hate to admit it, but the grad committee did a good job. Last night was pretty good; nothing went wrong … except for the one guy who did a cartwheel on-stage, and when he was upside down his gown fell and everyone saw his stark white naked ass. But yeah, other than that, it was pretty good.

But we spent fifty bucks per ticket for the stupid night and they didn't even check them at the door! We could've snuck in and no one would've noticed! That's my own money that went down the drain! For Shigure, of all people, to sit in the audience! That's not even worth it!

… I didn't even get to sit by her.

They made us sit in alphabetical order (the theoretical greatest night of my life and I'm stuck sitting next to the damn rat for four frigging hours.) and since we were such a big class, we were split into four. Tohru was all the way in the second section … I was in third.

It wasn't that bad, when she crossed the stage. She had certainly made some new friends after all these years. Her name was announced and to my surprise, there was more noise for her than I thought there would be. I clapped, of course, and so did Yuki and Uo and the freaky wave girl, but there were at least five other kids out there that hooted for her. I saw the blush on her face from where I was sitting.

Even though those four hours were hell, seeing her onstage (vs. trying to spot her through a sea of navy gowns and caps) made it a little better.

And besides, I kept telling myself, 'Tomorrow night will be _way_ better.'

By some miracle, our grad committee secured the hall that is used for massive events, like the Emperor coming by the town, or the University classes graduating. There's mood lighting everywhere, about 200 tables, a massive dance floor with those balloon archways all over the top, and big screens so everyone can get a fabulous view of our class historian, who is STILL TALKING. Our entire class had a scheme to buy and reserve tickets for about 10 tables of 6, all in the same spot. Some kids had their other friends book a table with them, but we were still in the same general area. And besides, the fact that we are all together – and seem to have a general dislike for the guy – helps the boredom factor.

The only one really paying any attention is Tohru.

She's so polite that way; always giving respect to every single person. Maybe that's what got her so many cheers last night. Not like she didn't deserve it … she really did.

God, she looks so beautiful tonight. Her hair is pulled back into a bun with some thick strands pulled out, and they're all curled into ringlets. Her dress is even more amazing; it's one of those floor length, full-neck halter dresses, with a choker, and a slit to her mid-thigh. It's a deep blue, of course; she said she wanted to get into the school spirit.

I don't know how I let Shigure drag me into a suit store. Now I'm stuck wearing this black and burgundy three-piece pain in the ass. The sad part was that I didn't even know how to tie my frigging tie.

… what? I don't where a tie to school. How would I know?

FINALLY, the moron is done. Now the dance can start. All the girls are going to swarm me-

What?

The two other girls at our table are talking. They're saying something about how the first dance is so important, because it signifies who you're going to be with the rest of the night.

…

Ok, that's just a sign.

To ask Tohru. So no other girls would bug me, so I would stay with her the whole night.

I haven't made any kind of a move on a girl in my life. Why would I now?

…

…. Because it's her.

* * *

Tohru tilted her head as she sat the cat-boy staring into deep thought. She ventured out, "Kyo-kun?"

He blinked in surprise and looked directly at her. "What?"

Tohru laughed lightly, as the music suddenly began, and a slow song came onto the speakers. Grads from all around began to file out onto the dance floor. "You were just looking really serious. Are you ok?"

Kyo paused for a second, and then a soft smile came onto his face. "Yeah … I'm fine."

Tohru smiled. "That's good," she thought out loud, and looked down for a moment, brushing her hands over the silky navy fabric of her dress to straighten it.

But, when she looked back up, he was standing behind her chair, looking down at her.

"Tohru?"

She didn't know why, but his closeness suddenly caused her to blush. She was so flustered already that she could only nod.

"Would you honour me with a dance?"

Now totally numb, she nodded again.

So, the orange haired boy took her hand gently, and led the girl to the dance floor, where his arms went around her waist and her hands went behind his neck, and they stayed in bliss for the best night of their lives …

* * *

Fin

* * *

A/N: Special Thanks to bloodstain5, for giving me the idea for a series of one shots : ) thanks!

Thanks to:

**_muffin_**

**_GirlWaterShaman_**

**_Unvoiced Echo (you're name is cool!)_**

**_Whitetiger_**

**_frozenangel1992_**

**_Lone Wolf_**

**_CloverRock_**

**_julia_**

**_jade30_**

**_itzjustme_**

**_Spirit_**

**_chuichi157_**

**_Midnight Insanity_**

**_crazedhanyoued_**

**_Chizz-muffinChik_**

**_PlacidSnowflake_**

**_Nibzo_**

**_LoveableNekoKyouFan87_**

**_Senko Honda_**

**_Pessimist (why are you a pessimist ? isn't that bad?)_**

**_mitora jesus-freak_**

**_Concetta_**

**_silver-fox-gal44_**

Review, people!

>>Aikou-chan


	3. Summer Lovin: Vacation

A/N: I have received my first threat Oo

I have definitely heard of them, no doubt about that. Crazy people that write, "UPDATE OR I'M GONNA COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND STAB YOU IN THE NECK YOU MO-FO!" Mine, fortunately, was not like that. It was just a little, "how come you ain't updating?" I guess they did say please, so it wasn't that bad : ) it just kind of makes me wonder, why they only cared now when I wasn't writing, yet there are no other reviews under her name. Hmmmm ….

Ok, I'll stop being bitchy now.** BUT I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE OUT THERE! This story has like, 190 hits to date, and I've only got 36 reviews! REVIEW, DAMMIT! **

Thanks are at the bottom: P

Also, the permanent blush thing? Happened to me on my vaca this year : )

Plus, I had NO idea that they actually go to the beach in the manga! In Canada, we're only on book nine or so, and I read the preview for the next book and was like, "They go to the beach house? Whoopsy!" but I assure you, this is probably NOTHING like those chapters.

Plus, I put this up on my Sweet Sixteenth! Yay, go me! Ok, chapter now uploaded - must go open presents XD!

* * *

_Summer Lovin_

* * *

"Toooohhhhrrruuu!"

The poor brunette didn't even see it coming.

She turned around to see little Momijii, running up to her with his arms outspread. He was actually in a boy's outfit for once. Swim shorts, to be exact. The boys had finally gotten sick of his metro-sexual ways and stole every bit of girly clothing from his wardrobe, replacing it all with boys' attire. Sure, he cried for a week, but he got over it. Unfortunately, he was too close to his target for her to do anything about it, and the next thing poor Tohru knew, she felt him crash on top of her, the weight disappear with a 'poof' and now a little rabbit laid on her tankini covered stomach.

She laughed nervously. "Oh, Momijii, you can't go doing that all the time."

"But it's a private beach! Nobody else saw!"

"Tohru, you do realize that he could change back at any second? I suggest you get him off of you unless you want a stark naked boy to straddle you," the nearby novelist reminded her kindly, lifting his sunglasses off of his eyes, even though he was still under the shade of the massive umbrella.

Tohru, before she could move him but after her massive blush, suddenly saw Kyo running up to them, picking up the rabbit boy under the arms, and carrying him off without a word.

Tohru sat up and watched the redhead carry away the crying rabbit, ignoring his pleas, and setting him down a safe distance away. Momiji was wailing complaints the entire way, no doubt about it, but it was still odd. Kyo seemed a little eager to make sure she didn't see Momiji nude. He had been doing that a lot lately; Kyo, that is. He seemed to be a little overprotective of her. Not that she didn't like it, of course, but it was very out of the ordinary.

The Sohma Family was spending a week at the privately owned beach manor, which also came with a privately owned beach. It was only a mile away from a little beach town, so food and utilities were nearby. So far, the only people out there were Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Shigure, Hatsuharu, Kagura, Kisa and Momijii. Of course, Momijii and Kisa wanted to come along when they heard that Tohru was taking part in the beach-house tradition, and just as naturally, Hatsuharu wanted to attend because of Yuki, and Kagura of her hidden jealousy towards Tohru and the idea of her and Kyo being at the house together for a few weeks. And then, realizing that there were too many kids to handle on his own, Shigure invited Hatori and …

"Oh, Kyo, How Gentleman-like! Why, for the last few days, you've been treating poor Tohru like a damsel in distress!"

"Ayame, kindly stuff a sock in it!" Kyo shouted at him from his spot where the tide came in.

See the oddness? He's even being polite with his insults.

Ayame, Shigure and Hatori were all under a large umbrella, sitting on beach chairs as they watched the others run around in the surf. The only one that actually looked beachy was Shigure – he was wearing a hideous Hawaii-printed shirt and some clashing orange swim trunks. Hatori was just in some casual business wear, reading a book, while Ayame was watching the teenagers and drawing furiously in his sketchbook.

"In fact, I'll make a new clothing line out of it! 'Damsel in Distress' seems the perfect theme for it – oh, Tohru, what size are you?" he called out. Shigure peeked over his sunglasses again and looked at the drawing that Ayame was doing. All he could determine was that it seemed to be a medieval princesses outfit that seemed to be missing a lot of fabric in some important places-

Tohru, confused as always, just blinked and questioned, "Huh?" while the others just laughed. Yuki was about knee deep in the water where he was previously playing with Momijii with Kagura, and Hatsuharu was just sitting in the surf with Kisa, trying to get a tan (it's surprisingly hard for him, because his cow form was supposed to be just black and white, not black and tan. This year he claimed he was going to do it … yet he had been sitting in the sun for about three hours now and it looked as pale as before. Kisa was just playing with the sand.)

"Ignore him, Tohru!" Momijii, now back in his human state and wearing his boxers once again, ran up to her and pulled on her hand. "C'mon, let's go back in the water!"

Oblivious as usual, the brunette just smiled and allowed herself to be dragged into the waist deep tide, Momijii pulling her right past Kyo. And before she joined in on a water fight with Kagura and Yuki (Kyo stayed VERY far away from the water, mind you … for the whole cat's-hate-water-thing _and_ because Kagura's in there), she noticed something in Kyo's eyes.

He had this goofy little grin on his face.

And this … adoring look in his eyes.

_Adoring_ … _as odd as that sounds, it's the only word I can describe it with._

It was nighttime now, and the sun had long been set against the sea. Tohru stood, staring out the window of her own private room, looking at the bright, pale moon and the light it shone on everything. She had just been in the shower, rinsing the seawater out of her hair, and was now wearing just wearing an old short-sleeved nightgown to sleep in.

She rubbed the towel against her hair harder, as she contemplated to herself. Normally, a look from Kyo that was odd usually just qualified that he was happy, which was very good, and she would leave it at that. But this time, she couldn't get the look out of her head. Even as Kyo was talking to her today, she stumbled on her own words.

It was even worse this morning when she saw him with his shirt off for the first time in a few months. She knew that she blushed – it was just a very un-Tohru thing to do. Hormones are very strange to Tohru … she was lucky to not have any experience with them yet.

And yet …

_I _liked_ looking at Kyo topless …I like looking at him in general. I find myself thinking about how I can't wait to see his face first thing in the morning when I go make breakfast …_

_I think I really like him._

_Not as a friend 'like', but more of a 'like like'. _

_He's changed so much since we first met …he hated me at first, but now he's as generous and sweet as Yuki is …still hates him, though …but he's been acting so different to me lately. Ever since Christmas with that kiss blush it was just … amazing. That's when the whole looking thing began. At first I was excited to see him that morning because I was scared of him rejecting me for the night before. But he was fine. He came downstairs with a smile on his face. And when they left for some errands in the morning, he had put on the scarf I made for him, looked back at me, and winked. _

_I know I blushed then. And I know Shigure saw it too. Mostly because Kyo started yelling at him when they went outside, but still._

Then there was Prom night. He was the only one I danced with the entire evening. I'm not complaining or anything; It was wonderful …he was so sweet that night. And he would've kissed me, when we were going to our rooms separately when we got home at around three in the morning, but Yuki had just come up the stairs, so he pulled back.

I kind of wish that he did.

I miss that feeling … it's been six months since the last kiss, and I really miss it …

Kyo …I want to kiss you …I want to feel you again …

But … what if he doesn't feel the same? Surely he's been with other girls before, you know with Kagura and all … maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe he really does like her! Maybe I'll stay out of it then. But, I can't keep ignoring this feeling. It can't be healthy!

I-

"Tohru?"

"Ack!" She yelped from her dazed spot sitting on her bed. Kagura had her head peeking through the doorway, wearing an old t-shirt and shorts to sleep in. Seeing Tohru's smile was an invitation alone to enter, so she grinned back and bounced into the room. Upon reaching her, she sat down on the bed beside her.

"Ayame said that there's a carnival in town tomorrow, by the pier. Do you want to come?"

Tohru smiled at her. "Sure, I'll come. Sounds like fun."

"Can I stay in here for a while? Everybody else is in my room cuz Momijii broke something, and it's really noisy. I just need some peace and quiet. Besides, now we can catch up on our girl talk!"

"Alright … "

"Sissy?"

The other two looked up to see Kisa at the door, peeking in. She had a pajama set much like the one that Kagura was wearing. Once again, smiles were an invite into the room, so she ran up and hugged Tohru instantly.

"Kisa, what is it?"

"The boys are loud."

"Boys are loud, hon. You'll learn after a while."

"… they aren't that loud-"

"They are when you get them in a room together and they're all trying to beat up Momijii."

The three all laughed at this, and Tohru stared out the window again at the moon.

My mind is off you for now, Kyo …but it can't be for much longer …

…

….

…

"Oh, Kisa, there's a stuffed tiger in that booth!"

"Wow, Kisa, it looks just like you-hey-ow! Tohru! Kyo hit me!"

"Momijii, I can't blame him. You kind of have to be quieter about all this when we're in public."

Kisa and the others all looked at Tohru in shock. To them, a non-empathetic comment from Tohru was a shocker – but to all the other carnival goers around them, the only shocks were the bearded lady and the dog boy and all those things (the dog boy was something that Shigure ridiculed extremely when he saw the flyer for the carnival that morning, back at the house. "I could be better than any dog boy at that festival!" he kept declaring, claiming that he should go there and prove to everyone that HE was truly the freak of nature here, and should receive a paycheck for it. It was also at this point that the others decided that it was best for Shigure and the other adults to stay at home.)

Tohru blushed to the color of her red spaghetti-strapped tank top, and she shoved her fists into the pockets of her denim shorts that matched her vest. "Well, it's true, isn't it?" When the staring continued, she finally gave up and said, "Never mind, forget I said anything."

To try and draw the attention from her, Yuki smirked at Kisa and bent down to her level. He was wearing a white button-down shirt and some green pants. "Want me to try and get it?"

A sudden spark flashed from Kyo's eyes. "Bet you I can get it down faster."

Yuki accepted the challenge. "You're on."

And the next thing you knew, both boys ignored the fact of whether Kisa even wanted a stuffed animal or not, and they were now the center of attention for bystanders as they went to the shooting range booth, firing repeatedly to win the tiger. Passersby's watched in awe as they continued frivolously.

Kisa, totally confused, stood behind them, watching in complete surprise.

Tohru asked, "How do they know when to stop?"

"Or who even wins?" Kagura

"When they run out of money," Haru pointed out point-blank.

"Or when the carnival guy runs out of bullets. Whichever happens first," Momijii concluded happily, totally oblivious to the tension in the air.

Which happened pretty fast, because the owner of the booth asked, "Boys, please, I need to keep some teddies for all the other customers, and you're going to make me run out soon!"

"Just One More Round!"

"You Haven't Even Paid For The Last Three!"

Both finally stopped when they realized there was a massive pile of animals that they had already won, and sweat dropped. Yuki grimaced under the shocked stares of the other carnival goers around him. Laughing nervously, he said, "Well, uh, we'll just take two then, ok?"

Tohru and Kagura started giggling uncontrollably at the situation, until Yuki walked up to Kisa. He held out a little plushy of a tiger. "Here you go."

Kisa smiled and jumped on Yuki in a hug. She didn't let go of that tiger for the entire day.

Tohru smiled as the group started to walk towards the ferris wheel up ahead. She was looking forward to it, actually, because there was just the tiniest chance that her and Kyo would end up in the same seat. She smiled privately to herself, as a dramatic scene played out in her head.

FERRIS WHEEL,  
Take 5

_The two lovers were on the highest point of the wheel when  
it jerked to a stop. Tohru, the beautiful heroine of the story,  
shrieked in the most graceful manner and grabbed the  
handsome Kyo's arm._

MAN OPPERATING WHEEL:  
Sorry, Folks! We broke down!

TOHRU:  
Oh, No, Kyo, What are we going to do!

KYO:  
Don't Worry, Tohru, I'll protect you.  
Everything will be fine.

MAN OPPERATING WHEEL:  
It's actually going to take five hours to fix  
this thing, so hang tough!

KYO:  
Wow, Five Hours up here with Tohru?  
It's a dream come true!

_The two smile and lean forward to kiss, which is followed  
by a five-hour make out session. The two don't care  
at all if people are staring, especially Kagura, two cars  
below them, smoke coming from her ears-_

Tohru shook her head violently and she felt her face heat up. Oh My God, what is wrong with me? … I've been around Ayame too long. All those romantic, fantastic scenarios are starting to effect my brain-

Just then, Kyo popped up beside her, and she almost screamed from his stealth (and from the daydream she just had). But, as he passed her by, he shoved something furry in her hands. She stopped walking and held it quickly, scared of dropping it, and to inspect it.

It was a furry, stuffed, orange cat.

She blushed and looked up ahead at Kyo. He was just staring at her from over his shoulder, and winked when he saw her reaction.

Tohru blushed, the butterfly feeling returning to her stomach, and she hugged the animal. Well, it's no ferris wheel, but it's a start.

…

….

…

Unfortunately, when the group did arrive at the ferris wheel, it really _had_ broken down (Tohru thought, _I jinxed it!_) and from their spot on the ground, the group could see at least 4 different couples making out to pass the time. Seeing as there wasn't much to do anymore, they decided to head home.

So now, after having a barbequed supper, they spent their time doing their own things. Tohru was in her room while some of the others stayed down on the beach. Feeling the heat of the day, she sighed and pulled her hair back into two low ponytails, smiling at her reflection in the mirror. She had actually obtained a little color today, so she was thankful to no longer be screaming white, but she forgot to put sunscreen on her face. Her cheeks were lightly burnt, which was okay, since it looked like she had a permanent blush.

Also, in the reflection of the mirror, she saw her new sleep toy sitting on her bed.

Tohru walked over to it, and sat down on the edge of the bed as she held it, petting the fake fur on it's paws. She smiled to herself. _It almost looks like him-_

"Pst, Tohru!"

"GACK!" The girl jumped about a foot off of her bed when she heard the voice of the boy in question. She looked frantically around in search of the voice, and then spotted some bright orange out of the corner of her eye. He was peaking in her window, urging her forward.

He looked very good that night. The heat was really bugging him, being a cat and all (weather always affects the cat) so he was just wearing some dark jeans and a white tank, which made it only that much more easier to imagine his chest underneath. Tohru walked forward to the window, glad that she could blame her cheeks of just being sunburnt, and met him at the window. She was on the first floor of the house, so he was just standing on the ground.

"The ferris wheel at the carnival is working again – do you wanna go?"

Tohru raised an eyebrow. "How do you know that?"

Kyo's face turned red, and he looked away from her, shoving one hand in his pocket and running the other through his hair. "I was kinda sitting on the roof … with binoculars."

Tohru's eyes widened at this. _I wasn't the only one disappointed about it, then?_ So, she laughed nervously. "S-Sure, I'll go. I just have to go out the front-"

"No, hop out the window."

"Why?"

"Because the others might see us-me-you."

She blushed again, but understood his reasoning (which only made her _more_ flustered); if any of the others saw them, they would question their destination and want to come along as well. And it seemed that Kyo wanted Tohru all for himself tonight.

Carefully, the girl sat on the edge of the window and lifted her left leg, staring down at the seven-foot drop. She gulped and swung both legs over, but didn't get the courage to actually jump, because Kyo suddenly held his arms out. Smiling, she grasped his shoulders and he held her waist, lifting her from the edge and placing her gently on the ground. Then, grasping her hand, he pulled her along. "C'mon, it'll get dark soon."

…

….

…

Walking along the beach as the sun began to set really _was_ like one of Ayame's fantasy scenarios. She was just waiting for the magic to end unexpectedly, because it was just too good to be true. Walking in the surf, holding his hand, watching the sky turn purple and orange … and he never released her hand once. The only time he let go was when they actually reached the carnival, and he had to dig out some money to pay the operator.

Glancing around, Tohru noticed that at this time of the day, there was only couples walking around; they were holding hands, sharing cotton candy, and the guys were winning prizes for their girls at the booths.

_Well, two out of three isn't that bad,_ she smiled to herself, feeling almost giddy about being here.

"Tohru?"

She finally looked back to see that the operator was waiting for her to go up to the seat with Kyo. Apologizing quickly, she ran up to him and they both sat down in the swinging seat, lowering the safety bar, before there was a great jerk and the whole gigantic wheel began to spin counterclockwise.

Her breath caught in her throat when they reached just past the top. The sun was almost set on the ocean, and the view of its rays reflecting off the waves was amazing. She sighed dreamily and rested her head in her elbows against the rail as she watched.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

She nodded and hummed a reply to him, and after a while, the wheel started to move again. She leaned back in her seat, only to feel his arm resting across the back of the chair. Slightly shocked, she looked at him. He was only staring at her with a smirk.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

Kyo just shook his head, and stared out ahead again. "Nothing … I'm just glad that I got the guts to bring you here."

Tohru smiled at this and felt another wave of heat hit her face. "I'm glad you did, too."

"Really?"

"Yeah … "

And for once in that entire day, the two enjoyed a perfect silence with no awkward moments. At least, Tohru was comfortable. Watching a sunset with the boy she secretly had a crush on … how could it not be perfect?

A warm weight suddenly landed on her shoulders, and she blushed once more. Kyo's arm was now totally on her shoulders. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his hand … clenched in a fist?

"T-Tohru?"

She hummed in reply.

"What … what is this?"

The girl blinked in confusion. "What is what?"

"Well, _this_. What we have. Am I dreaming? Or are we actually becoming something … more than friends?"

Her breath caught her throat while her heart began to beat double-time. _Wow, wasn't expecting that one_.

Seeing her hesitate, he drew his arm back with a sigh. "I shouldn't have said anything – forget it-"

"No, Kyo!" She grabbed his arm in her hand, holding it tightly while looking into his bewildered eyes. "Wait a minute! I-I-I-"

"Tohru-"

"No, Kyo, listen to me. I …. " Her blush deepened beyond her sunburn this time. "I don't know where we are right now … but I do know that … I enjoy spending time with you … "

As she spoke, the grip on his arm loosened, and her thumbs began to stroke the skin. "I know that … I can't wait to see your face when I get up in the morning. And that I can't stop thinking about you. And that I loved that moment at Christmas."

Tohru rested her head on his shoulder, refusing to stare at his face as her confession forced itself out of her mouth. "And on prom night. And I've been waiting to have another k-kiss."

He was totally silent, and as her ear was rested against his shoulder, she could hear his rapid heartbeat. She gulped before she whispered, "That's what I do know. But – what is it all?"

They were silent; the only sound in the area was the carnival, with loud music and screaming kids, dings and dongs … and Tohru couldn't hear any of it. All she could hear was this loud thumping in her ears.

" … love."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and her head shot up to stare at him-

- Unfortunately, he was leaning close to her head at the time, and before he could move, he got hit right in the nose. She yelped in shock as he inhaled sharply, grabbing his nose with his hands in pain. Soon afterwards, a long trickle of red appeared from underneath this palms.

"OhGoshIAmSoSorryKyoHereLeanYourHeadBackOhMyGodAreYouOkayIHaveSome

TissueHereSomewhereIAmSoooSorry!" She exclaimed in a hurried rush, pressing the tissue up at his nose. He took it with blood-covered fingers, leaned his head back and held the tissue to his wound.

In the awkward silence, Tohru thought to herself, _You Idiot, how could you do that! Oh great, he's got blood on his shirt now! It's all my fault, I reacted too much-_

But her conscience was silenced when she heard him chuckle, which only made her more embarrassed. He just mumbled, "What a way to ruin the mood, huh?"

She couldn't stop the smile that came to her face, or the giggle that escaped her mouth. And to her surprise, she saw him smile too. Remembering the mood from just moments before, she nervously asked, "Do you mean that, Kyo? I-I mean, about the love thing?"

He sighed and leaned forward again, dabbing his nose to make sure the blood had stopped, and when it was clear, he turned to her with a warm smile on his face. "Well, it _sounds_ like you're in love with me," he stated lowly, a sly look coming onto his face. "And I _know _that I love you."

Tohru suddenly felt really sheepish, even though the scenario where Kyo confessed his love for her played out _way_ differently every time she ran it through her head. But, this was a good enough alternative. Except for the breaking-his-nose thing. "Really?"

He leaned forward. "Really really. Now," he placed one hand on her cheek and stared at her eyes. "Can I kiss you? Or would you rather not have a guy with a bloody nose touch your mouth?"

She laughed again and gripped his shirt, pulling him forward. "I don't care."

And so, in the sunset, the two engaged in a kiss, and didn't talk for a long, long time.

Until the operator yelled at them, "Hey! You've been on for twenty minutes now! Get Off!"

Fin

* * *

A/N: Thanks To-

**silver-fox-gal44:** Thanks! I'm glad I made such wonderfal sap XD

**mitora jesus-freak:** I only have the first two volumes of the manga : ( I keep stealing the manga from other people to read the new stuff - so I don't really know what the dresses are. I'm sure they'd be cool. Thanks for being loyal!

**animeluver911**: No! Don't Cry! MASCERA WILL RUNN! ... anywho, thank you!

**spastic dragon tamer:** i glad you like it and say it good thank you much :P

**Dragonjewel24**: Hey, nothing wrong with being over the top happy! I wish I was like that all the time! Thanks (dammit, I'm saying Thanks too much again!) I mean, Arigatou!

**Katy:** I'm glad you liked it!

**deadlykitty:** I didn't know you were such an avid fan - lack of reviews has led me astray XD jk jk. I hope this chapter was pleasing.

**coca24cola**: Muchos Gracias for reviewing again! I hope this one makes up for the let down the other one was ... do you really like coca cola? Cuz we have something to talk about if we do : ) my dad works for coke. I am currently sitting in a den with Coca Cola memoriabilia dating back to the 1930's all around me. Cool, eh?

**Eva Angel**: Long Live Warm Fuzzy Feelings! Merci!

**Jedi Master 1990**: Wow, LOVE Your New Name! You know, there's this museum in Seattle for sci-fi stuff - saw it on vaca - AND THEY HAVE DARTH VADER'S HEAD! I can die happy now : ) Anywho, Thanks for being so loyal! I love yoU!

**Amanda**: Ok, need another word for 'thank you' ... uh, beunos dias? No, that ain't right ... uh,- oh! Donca Shane!

**animerockstar**: THanks! (sick and tired of trying to find different 'thanks')

**Tohru**: I have an idea for an actual FB story in my head ... I just want to fine tune it more before I start to type it. But for now, it's good ol' K+T Fluffy oneshots. I'm glad you liked it!

AraelMoonchild: Funky name - all fantasy and the like. Thank you!

**And since these stories are all different stories in themselves, could you please review each chap? Thanks!**

>>Aikou-chan  
(P.S. To all my 'Don't Run' Readers; I'm sorry! I've been in a massive writers block mode lately! Forgive me!)


	4. Back In Session: School

School's Back In Session…Let's Begin, our, LESSON! (Parody of the Alice Cooper Song "School's Out For Summer")

A/N: This year, registration was a DISASTER. Therefore, what better way to deal with it than share it with you fine people? Enjoy.

Btw, I'm using the Canadian High School system here. High School in Canada is grades 10-12. Grade Ten freshman First Year. Grade Eleven sophomore Second Year. Grade Twelve Senior Third Year.

Plus, remember **All The Chapters Are Different Stories. **Yes, that last chap tied in with all the others, but still, they are different. **So please review for all the chapters so I can know what the people like and don't like.**

**Review Thanks Are At The Bottom!**

**

* * *

**

Schooool's BACK. IN. SESS-SION! ... Leeeett's BEGIN. OUR. LESS-ON!  
- Principal Skinner from _The Simpsons  
_(ripping off the Alice Cooper Song  
"School's Out For Summer")

* * *

September First.

The day most kids dread.

No more late nights with Jay Leno. No more hanging at the beach with the gang. No more "Friends" or "Seinfeld" reruns. No more weekly matinees at the local Cineplex. No more sleeping in past noon, and no more no homework. Most of the teenagers walking into the building had horrible expressions of disgust and nausea on their faces that sunny morning. Teachers dreaded this day more than the kids do; you would too, if you had to be the one facing all of those adolescents five hours before they usually wake up.

Tohru wasn't one of them. One of the dreading kids, that is. For one thing, she liked school. Her promise to her mother to work hard made it even more enjoyable. Every day was just a step closer to holding that diploma at graduation.

Tears came to her eyes as she stared up at the white building, marveling at it's glory-

-Until Kyo gave a small knock to the back of her head. "C'mon, space cadet. You're going to miss registration."

Blinking, she was brought back to reality, and saw the boy's back as he walked through the front doors. Not wanting to be left behind, she ran to catch up with him, passing first years, second years, and her fellow third year classmates.

Once they entered the building they joined the large line that led into the gymnasium. This was registration; the one day where classes were shortened due to Class Pictures, Individual Photos and ID shots were taken; where school fees were paid for classes; where schedules were distributed and usually horribly wrong; where friends usually saw each other for the first time since last year.

Tohru only had to wait a little while before she saw Uo and Hana come out of the gym, receipts in hand and ID cards flashing. Uo was particularly proud of her picture because for once she had smiled, making it her first picture that didn't look like a mug shot. Hana was happy because she got into the highly popular Forensic Sciences class. Unfortunately they had to depart to other engagements and left the other two to stand in line.

The line was slow but once they entered the gym things began to pick up. Stations were set up for all the needs of the students. After paying for fees they were separated for their ID pictures. Kyo was in the middle of the line while Tohru stood in front of the background, giving a cheesy grin.

Kyo couldn't help but smirk. _I'm going to get her school photo this year … probably have to stick it in my locker, though … that damn Yuki might see it …god, she's cute when she smiles. _His grin faded when she stepped away from the background and moved to the next station to pick up her student handbook.

_It's so weird how a simple smile can make up for a horrible day,_ he thought to himself. _If I had a horrible night, I would walk downstairs and she'd be there, smile and all … and I'd be fine. If I knew I failed a test and I saw her next block, I couldn't care less. _

_My God WHAT is WRONG with ME? Last year I couldn't give a rat's ass about feelings and shit and now I'm falling over like some sap? What the hell is going on?_

_Puberty_, a voice in the back of his head told him. _And Hormones. Ain't it great?_

_Fuck you._

_You know you wannnnit._

People that were just entering high school stood by in confusion as they watched the orange haired senior bang his head against the wall.

* * *

"And here's your locker number, your student insurance forms-"

A teacher (who seemed to be just like the kids, like she was needing another five hours of sleep, since she wasn't that enthusiastic) unceremoniously handed Tohru the items as she went on. Tohru, as naive as she is, just kept smiling.

"- and your schedule and your bus pass, have a nice day and get to your class – next!"

She was just about to step away when something on her schedule caught her eye. She blinked in confusion as she stared down at her course choices. _I didn't even pick half of these! Maybe I have someone else's –_ but a glance at the top of the page proved that no, this was indeed her schedule gone horribly wrong.

"Um, excuse me?" she asked the lady who just helped her. She didn't seem to care.

"I think my schedule's wrong," Tohru explained. "I didn't sign up for any of these courses-"

"Then get in line for the assistant principal's office and you can complain to him, alright? Next!"

Tohru stepped back as someone else butted in front of her, eager to get out of the stuffy, crowded gym. She gulped and slowly started to walk over to the exit, examining her timetable. "Oh, this is all wrong," she told herself. "I didn't even take Chem. 20 – how can they put me in Chem. 30? And Advanced Art? I haven't even taken beginner art … "

Almost immediately she ran into someone's back, who turned and cursed at her for being pushy. After apologizing profusely, she looked around the person to see that she was out of the gym … but in a long line leading to the assistant principal's office. There were at least fifty other students in front of her, and the process was slow.

She sighed. _Oh well … guess I just have to wait._

_

* * *

_

After successfully leaving the gym without any issues – the photographer didn't even make him smile for his photo, which made him happy and he smiled anyway (so much for the bad boy persona) – Kyo exited the gym, looking around for Tohru to see if she made it out unscathed.

As far as the eye could see there were students leaning against the wall or sitting on the floor while waiting to go into the principal's office. He almost felt sorry for the poor saps – they could be there all day. And then he saw a spaced out girl with brown hair …

"Hey!" he shouted when he saw her. The loud noise caused her to jump and stare in surprise. She laughed nervously. "Oh, Hi, Kyo- you're all done?"

"Why are you in line? What's wrong with your schedule?" Before she could answer, he snatched the paper away from her and inspected it himself.

Kyo didn't exactly know her old schedule, but he could tell it was messed up.

"You've got all core subjects next semester – that's like, 6 Final Exams to study for!"

Tohru gulped and sweatdropped. "I know … "

(A/N: Core subjects are the following; Math, Chem., Bio, Physics, English, History, languages, etc.)

"And … you're signed up for Tenth Grade Health and Fitness?"

"Seems like it … "

"Wow, that sucks," Kyo stated lamely, handing the sheet back to the girl – and then getting in line with her. She blinked up at him, and said, "Kyo, you don't have to wait with me – I don't want to be any trouble-"

"Hey, I'm not going to class with that damn Yuki all by myself, alright?" Kyo stated. "Besides, you'll be all alone out here … and it's a long wait … "

Tohru smiled up at him, ignoring the fact that because he's on student council, Yuki probably wouldn't be in class all day. But she was just happy he was spending time with her… it was really sweet …

* * *

… _time passes …

* * *

_

Three hours.

Three Fricking Hours Later and they were still in line.

The two gave up standing and sat on the floor like most of the people. There were still about twenty people ahead of her, all of who were tired and annoyed. Kyo had left for some reason, telling Tohru to stay in line. Minutes later he showed up with two bottles of water from the vending machine, and gave one to her. She smiled up at him. "Thanks, Kyo."

"No problem. I'll hold your spot, too, if you have to go to the bathroom or something," he told her as he sat down next to her. Her smile only grew at this.

"I'm sorry I'm taking up all of your time … " she apologized, but Kyo cut her off.

"Oh c'mon, Tohru, it's fine." He took a long drink from his bottle before continuing. "Besides … I barely see you anymore."

Tohru couldn't help the blush that came onto her face. "Wh-What do you mean?"

Much to her delight and surprise, his face was turning red as well. Feeling embarrassed, he looked away from her while he spoke. "It's just … I go training a lot during the day. And you were always at your job. I just thought … if I didn't see you soon I'd go insane." He turned back to her for a second. "Besides, teachers don't like changing schedules. You've gotta be tough with them, and lets face it, you're anything but tough."

Tohru's bottom lip whimpered. She had been putting in a lot of extra hours for the class trip they were taking this year, and he was right – she would usually be gone right after making breakfast and wouldn't return until late at night. And Kyo had been catching up on his training, disappearing from the house for days at a time. She had to admit it – she missed him.

And so he took three hours of his precious day to sit in a hallway with complaining teenagers just so she can fix a schedule gone horribly wrong. He was that desperate to see her.

But just before she could say something incredibly meaningful, a teacher was coming down the long line of students, checking their schedules. "You need a signature from the desk in the gym before you can see the principal, young man-"

"What!" Tohru asked, whipping her head around to see the teacher. Kyo blinked in confusion.

The teacher looked at her, and then at the students staring at her in question. "All Schedules Need A Signature from the desk in the Gym before you can see the principal!"

A number of students groaned, and Tohru glanced at her timetable – and just like the others, she didn't have a signature. She gulped. "I-I didn't know!"

"Gimme that," Kyo said, snatching the paper from her. "I'll go get it-"

"But-"

"You just hold the place in line. There is no way in hell that we're loosing your spot because WE WERE UNINFORMED," he shouted the last part at the teacher, then took off down the hallway towards the gym.

Tohru watched him speed off, and smiled. "Thanks, Kyo … "

* * *

"Next!"

The sun was starting to set as Tohru and Kyo entered the office. The principal sighed. "How is it out there?"

Tohru sat down in the chair facing the desk, while Kyo leaned against the wall. "It's still pretty bad," she told him regrettably.

The principal sighed as he rubbed his temples. "Crap, I'm gonna be here all night … "

"Maybe if you got the schedules right the first time around none of us would've had to go through this," Kyo stated, causing Tohru to tense up. Sure, he had no respect for authority figures, but she needs help from those figures right now.

The principal glared at him for a moment before looking at Tohru. "Okay, what's the problem?"

"Well, second semester is all core subjects, and with my job and all, I don't think I can handle that kind of workload," she stated.

The principal shrugged. "Big whoop. Other kids do it."

"It's just the tip of the iceberg, bud," Kyo told him.

"Um, yeah, and I'm signed up for Band. I don't even play anything."

"You could learn something."

"Advanced Art-?"

"They've got some good scholarships-"

_BAM!_

Tohru yelped as Kyo slammed his fist on the desk, causing the principal to jump as well. He glared at the man. "_She's Signed Up For **Boy's PE.**_"

The principal blinked in surprise at this. "And you're in objection to that? She could be in your class."

Kyo twitched. "Just fix the schedule, buddy … "

* * *

They finally left the school with a normal timetable, which Tohru hugged to herself as they walked home. "Thanks, Kyo."

Kyo shrugged as he walked ahead of her. "It's no big deal. I can't believe how much of an ass he was being, though-"

Tohru sped up and caught one of his hands in hers, causing him to stop mid-sentence and stare at her. The girl smiled and squeezed his hand gently. "It is a big deal. So, thanks."

Kyo stared at her for a moment, a blush rising onto his face … along with a smile, as the two walked home, hand in hand.

* * *

A/N: This story is labeled Romance/Comedy. There's been two chapters with pure romance, one with half-and-half, so I thought this one should be mostly comedy. Did I pull it off?

I wasn't signed up for boy's PE, but pretty much everything else was messed up. And the signature thing happened, too. Only the Principal's office is on the total opposite FLOOR AND WING of the gym. I had to run back there in HEELS. NOT fun.

Till next time – Halloween special! Boo!**Check For Updates and Fanfic Progress on my Author Bio Page!

* * *

**

**AraelMoonChild** - Ack! Don't Stop Breathing! Are you okay? Maybe I should put a warning label on my stories ... WARNING: MAY CAUSE EXTREME FATAL GIGGLES ... heheh. Thanks for reviewing again!

**soccergirl869** - oh yes, kissing ... i'm loving it. I'm glad you enjoyed. My only purpose in life is to provide entertainment for you fine internet people : )

**mitora jesus-freak** - no, haven't read anything by Jedi 1990 ... probably should ... I DID get a review from one of my idolsa while ago for a different story ... every heard of Midi Tenshi? She's big with Rurouni Kenshin ... i'm getting into the harry potter fanfic thing, though (I swore to God that I wouldn't, since I don't like people trying to write like other people cuz the writing styles always screw up between the book and the fanfic) but I'll give those other two girls a try. Anywho, the threat wasn't a big deal : ) thanks for being worried!

**Kyo Lover** - I'm glad you liked it! Thanks!

**Julianna** - aww, I liked your review a lot! It made me feel special ... you are totally awesome. Thanks!

**Kat** - ha! Thanks. I'll try not to let you 'run out of story', okay?

**Tohruismyoneechan - **okay, i'm not slow but i'm not fast - is this good? lol just kidding - thanks.

**robstarluver** - aww, reviews! XD

**Jedi Mistress 1990** - heh, sorry about getting the name wrong : ) my bad. And i'm not one for cherries, but if you replace the ice cream soda with a cherry on top with an ice cream soda with an OREO on top, i'll write faster ; )

**left-alone** - I updated as soon as possible, which was when the chapter was done! XD thanks!

**Kyo's Favorite Kitty** - aw, I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling down! I have been too, lately ... my cat died less than a year ago and I was down in the dumps for a while ... so i know how you feel : ) I hope you meant spirits (cuz that's great that I made you happy!) cuz I don't know what a spitit is... just kidding XD Thanks for reviewing and feel better!

Until Next time!  
>>Aikou-chan


	5. The Rocky Romance Picture Show: Oct 31

A/N: Wassup homies! I thought I wasn't gonna make it before halloween but I did! at the expense of studying for my midterms, anyways ... XD

Thanks to **left-alone, Yami396, Audley, bakaschalanekochan, kiraracutie4, kyo's gal** (must ... resist ... the urge ... to steal ... your penname!)**, Singingstargt, tohru honda, helen** (don't worry i won't end this for a looooong time :D), **frostychan12,Outsane, P-Chan Lova026** who all left such wonderful reviews! Thanks you guys! I love you all!

**Juliana, AraelMoonchild, **I'm glad to see I'm not the only person who thinks registration is messed up XD Thanks for the reviews!

**Mitora** - heyo m-chan! This chap is not exactly up to par ... due to the fact that i was writing it while talking to you at 2 in the morning:P Sleep means nothing to you people! - but i love you anyway :D See you on AnEx!

Enjoy the show everybody!

* * *

**The Rocky Romance Picture Show – Halloween**

* * *

She stared at the card in her hand excitedly.

The text was in the "chiller" font, and printed out precisely in the center of the orange paper. The small card was embossed with spiders for the full effect, and the content was etched into her brain from reading it so many times. _Himiko's Halloween Movie Night,_ it read. _Ginta Cineplex, October 31, 2005. Show starts at 7:00 PM – only "costumers" are allowed in! RSVP By October 30._

Himiko was a very nice girl from school. Her father owned many movie theatres around town, the Ginta Cineplex being one of them, which helped their personal family wealth. But it didn't cause her ego to grow – she remained very modest and humble, and was one of the more popular girls in school, and was on many different clubs representing the student body, such as the Student Council.

And that was all the more reason why Tohru was ecstatic when Himiko popped up that morning and handed a card to herself, Kyo, Hana and Uo.

Tohru had a wide smile on her face as they all sat in their desks. _I-I can't believe it!_ She thought to herself. _Himiko!_ _One of the most popular girls in school, invited me of all people to her Halloween party!_ She hugged the card to her chest and sighed. _This is amazing!_

"This blows!"

Tohru sweatdropped.

Uo chucked the card out the window with a flick of her hand. "The one time that girl actually invites me to something and I have to work that night! Jesus … " she drifted off, muttering curses.

Kyo shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "What would we be doing there, anyway? Watching scary movies? Who does that anymore?"

Uo grinned at the carrot-topped boy slyly. "Sounds like somebody just doesn't wanna dress up! What, you too cool to wear a pirate suit, orangey?"

Kyo glared at her. "Oh Come On – Dressing Up is for Little Kids, Anyway!"

Tohru almost fell out of her chair, and the others noticed. They almost got up to help her but she waved them back and said, "Oh, no, it's nothing … "

Kyo knew better though. He sighed in annoyance and put his forehead against the desk. _Me and my big mouth._ "You were going to dress up, weren't you?" he mumbled.

Tohru nodded meekly, a blush spreading to her cheeks. "I don't know … I was thinking about being … a cat … " she said kind of sheepishly.

Uo and Hana smiled and started commenting on how cute of a cat she would be – but once again, Kyo knew better. A blush that clashed horribly with his locks spread over his face, unseen by the others. _Was that for me? Nah it couldn't have been – but she is a cat lover – oh god why did that just paint a dirty picture of her and me? Gah!_

"I will unfortunately not be able to come," Hana reported. "My brother and I volunteered as supervisors for our local Temple's Haunted House. So sorry."

Kyo and Tohru both blinked at this. _The scariest thing in that show will be Hana holding the curtain open for those little kids – they'll think they'll be led to their doom or something._

"Alright, that settles it, KyonKyon," Uo announced with a devilish grin. "YOU have to be the one to go and supervise Tohru."

Both teenagers in question blushed brightly and shouted, "ExCUSE Me!"

"Let's face it, Hon," Uo stated, leaning forward in her chair. She reached out and patted Tohru comfortingly on the head. "You and Scary movies aren't the best combination. And God forbid if you scream in the middle of the movie theatre and hug the stranger beside you."

Of course, Hana agreed with this since she was looking out for Tohru.

But of course, the other two knew the real issue ….

* * *

"I canNOT Change in the middle of a theatre in front of all my classmates!"

_BAM!_

"But if I don't go, Uo's gonna hunt me down on a motorbike with that pipe of hers!"

_BAM!_

Tohru winced as he kept punching the wall of the school, noticing the paint cracking and falling to the ground. Thank God it was after school and most of the kids had gone home by now, but still … _That can't be good for the brick …BAM … or his hands …_

Kyo finally stopped and leaned against the cracked wall, panting heavily. "What the hell are we gonna do?" he asked, pressing his hot forehead against the cool cement.

Tohru sighed and said in defeat, "I don't know …. " She stared sadly at Kyo, mad at herself for all the trouble she was causing. And how much damage he had done to the school as well … and his hands too, apparently.

She yelped when she saw the steady trickle of red go down the building from where his hands were pressed against it. "K-Kyo-kun you're bleeding!"

He opened his eyes like a shot and realized that indeed, his knuckles were scratched up pretty badly. He hadn't even felt it. "Dammit," he muttered.

Tohru rushed up and started to dig around in her backpack. "Ooo," she mumbled to herself, "There's gotta be something here …. There we go!" She pulled out a roll of tensor bandage and proceeded to snip it in half. Then, she grabbed one of Kyo's hands and began to wrap it up. "Hold still, okay?" she told him.

_Shyeah, like I'd wanna move now._

Kyo blushed as he felt her soft, gentle fingers support his rough hand, marveling at how tender she was being to them. Nobody was ever that gentle to him in his whole life – hell he wasn't even gentle to himself. But she took care of him so well … he hadn't been skin-and-bone since he started lived at Shigure's house. And he hadn't had (as many) blowups with the rat anymore. She really did so much for him.

And that's why he felt guilty about not being able to help with this movie night problem. She deserved to go out like a normal girl, and meet new people. But she needed support like everybody else; he couldn't just leave her alone to have the crap scared out of her.

But he couldn't just turn into a cat in front of all his classmates, either.

_Damn. Damn Damn-ity Damn DAMN DAMN._

_

* * *

_

The two were still confused about their problem up until they got home that evening. They were so desperate that they shared it with Shigure and Yuki, wondering for a solution.

The four sat around the living room table in thought. Tohru was sad as she leaned against the table. She didn't want to cause Kyo any stress or problems … but the selfish side of her was crying out for her to go to the function … she deserved it … but not at the expense of Kyo transforming.

Kyo was currently beating up his ancestry inside his head. Seriously. WHY Did he have to turn into a cat because of girl contact! BAHHHHH – every inch of him was wishing the curse would disappear … and he found it unbearable to even imagine holding Tohru and comforting her in the dark theatre … it was all a too tempting thing to have in real life …

"AHA!"

The two troubled teens jerked back to life.

Shigure held up his finger triumphantly and announced, "I have figured out a solution!"

…. (pause for effect) ….

Kyo glared at him. "AND…?" He insisted.

Shigure grinned widely and pointed at Kyo, "Go as a cat."

The whole room sweatdropped.

Yuki stared at the dog flatly. "I thought we already established that Tohru was going as a cat … ?"

"YES," Shigure agreed, "But I am saying that Tohru takes Kyo with her in his zodiac form!"

The whole room went wide eyed ….. before Kyo and Yuki spazzed.

"SAY WHAT!"

"It's perfectly reasonable!" Shigure said, and began to list the factors. "A) Kyo can say he was at the movie because technically he was and he can recite parts later. B) If he's already a cat, he can't change. C) Plus he can STAY in cat form because most likely, Tohru will be hugging him throughout the film."

…

Yuki blinked. "I can't find anything wrong it that."

Tohru blinked in shock as well. "Me either."

Kyo had different things going on in his mind.

_IN HER LAP, IN A DARK THEATRE. IN HER LAP, IN A DARK THEATRE. IN HER LAP-_

* * *

Well, October 31 came, and the night was young. Tohru emerged from her room wearing a black t-shirt, brown cat ears attached to a headband, and black pants. On her face (drawn with brown eyeliner) were cat whiskers and a little dip up on the middle and the ends of her top lip. Shigure saw her come out and noticed how much she resembled another feline he knew. She saw him and blushed a bit when he wiggled his eyebrows mischeviously.

"Ummmmm where are the guys?" she asked quickly.

"Downstairs, waiting for you," he answered. And then, just to make things worse, he asked, "By the way, Tohru, Kyo mentioned something about missing a black shirt from his laundry bin – would you happen to know where it went?"

Eep.

Caught red handed.

"Um-Gotta-Go-See-You-Later-Be-Home-At-Midnight!" She stuttered as she bolted down the stairs, leaving a grinning Shigure behind.

* * *

"I'm sorry I fell on you."

"Forget about it."

"But, it must've hurt-"

"I said forget about it – I'm used to it." _No, Wait! DAMMIT!_

"Oh yeah … I keep falling on you a lot when you transform …. Ummm … I'm sorrryyyyy … "

Kyo blushed even more from his position in her arms. She was walking down the streets to the theatre, also wearing a small backpack containing a costume for Kyo to wear incase he decided to go human again (courtesy of Shigure – he got sneaky and made some cat ears the same color as his hair and (unknowingly) packed identical clothes that Tohru was wearing now). His face was already red from the five-block walk she had been taking with him in her arms. Now he had his stupid foot-in-mouth disease again.

"Forget it, Tohru – I really don't care. It's fine. You never hurt me."

She got a little red in the face from the last little bit. She didn't know why, but it really took to her heart. What did he mean by that?

Unfortunately, she could not question more because they had rounded the corner, and were in sight of the movie theatre. A line of other classmates in costumes was coming from the front door. Himiko spotted her instantly. She was dressed as Sakura from the popular show _Cardcaptor Sakura_. She bounced over to Tohru and commented on how cute she looked and how she loved the cute cat in her arms (she even scratched behind his ears and he fought the urge not to purr) and ushered her to the front of the line. She asked why Kyo wasn't there and Tohru said he had a big exam on Monday to study for, and he was sorry he couldn't make it. Himiko sympathized as they entered the building, and then they entered a theatre on the left. Tohru looked up at the tagline above the door …

_The Rocky Horror Picture Show? Oooh, I don't like the sound of that_. Instantly, she gave Kyo a squeeze. He nuzzled against her arm in an attempt of comfort – which, actually, worked.

Tohru actually sat in the row directly in front of Himiko and her closer friends, Himiko letting Tohru in on their conversations frequently. Tohru was so excited to be meeting new people – her face hurt from smiling so much later.

Finally, seven o clock came around and the lights in the theatre dimmed. The crowd of teenagers cheered and Tohru sat straight in her seat, holding Kyo in her lap, and clutching to him desperately already. Kyo blushed heavily. _Oooooh boy._

The credits began to roll. Once actors' names began to appear on the screen, people cheered. The title then appeared, reading "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and the crowd went wild.

Himiko put a hand on Tohru's shoulder, causing her to look back, and she smiled. Tohru gave a nervous smile back, and then faced the screen again.

Kyo watched the screen as well, only half-paying attention. His mind kept running with questions. _She's hugging me pretty tight already. What about when a scary part comes up? What if she starts crying? What about her makeup? Is that MY shirt she's wearing? _

Et cetera.

But the thing is … they went twenty minutes into the film … and nothing scary happened.

Kind of the opposite, really.

More like – humor.

This wasn't a scary movie at all. It was total spoof and newspapers and bread and laughter. Tohru even caught herself laughing out loud a few times, and her grip on Kyo loosened after a while.

Finally, he looked up and said as quietly as he could, "Gimme your bag."

She looked down in surprise. "Why?"

"Cuz I'm going to the bathroom and I'm changing back."

"Oh … yeah …. Kyo?"

"Yeah?"

" … I'm sorry for overreacting … about the movie … and for keeping you in cat form for so long … "

"… it's okay Tohru."

"Really?"

"Yeah … I enjoyed it."

Tohru blushed. "Thanks … Kyo … "

* * *

The usher standing outside the doors to the theatre heard the muffled laughter and cheers as the movie continued. Just then, the door started to open. Doing his normal duties, he pulled it open fully, expecting to see a teenager coming out for a popcorn refill.

Instead, he saw nothing.

Blinking in surprise, he looked down to see an orange cat with the loop of a backpack around his neck. The cat glared up at the man, before walking off and pushing the door open to the boys' bathroom.

The poor usher blinked. "… what the hell?"

* * *

A/N: Happy Halloween, guys! Now go outside and scare some kids! 


	6. Chocolate Onigiris: Valentines

I thought I had already written a V-Day special for this - but apparently, I hadn't! so I wrote this up - kinda crappy, but I think it's okay. Enjoy!

(Trying to update this before I go to bed, so no reviewer's response today! sorry - catch up later!)

8--------8

_**Chocolate Onigiris**_

8--------8

_Assignment 22.6 – Analysis of traditional Holidays_

During this point of our studies of traditions and holidays of the modern age, we are met with Valentine's Day. Write a five hundred word essay about the meaning of Valentine's Day in your own words. Plagiarism will cause a receiving mark of zero.

8---------8

His eye twitched involuntarily.

The V-Word. V-Day.

It's today, isn't it?

Had it snuck up on him so fast _again!_

Of course, his initial reaction was to run as fast as he could to the mountains to avoid Kagura. She'd be all over him when he got home … _but, _if he started for the train station right after school, he'd probably be at Kyoto by nightfall. No way she'd follow him all the way down there. There. It's settled. He'll get away for a few weeks. Why not?

"Finished!"

Kyo blinked, startled, and looked behind him to see who called out.

Tohru. That's why not. He couldn't leave her behind. Ever.

The brunette smiled and set her pencil down on the desk, then proceeded to stretch her arms above her head, letting out a relaxing sigh. Her friends Uo and Hana stared at her in surprise. "What?" Uo asked in disbelief. "How? She only gave it to us an hour ago!"

"I dunno," Tohru said with a shrug. "It came easily to me."

Kyo rested his head in his hand as he watched her speak. Those smiles of hers. It was always perfect and meaningful. How could she smile like that twenty-four-seven? _I guess it comes easily to her,_ he thought, as the bell ran to signify the beginning of lunch.

As he stood up and packed his bag, he began to think about all the reasons for Valentine's Day. The original holiday originated from a priest – Saint Valentines, his name might've been. His abbey was next door to an orphanage filled with ugly girls, and every February 14th he 'd shower them in candy.

_But what good is that if they eat a ton of chocolate every year? Then they get fat and feel even more ugly,_ his brain argued as he walked into the hallway, past other students that were either giggling about the assignment, or hating the fact that they had to do it for marks.

_Hm,_ he thought, as he started to head towards his locker, having an itch to play soccer during his break and needing his outdoor shoes. _Mostly, Valentine's day is about love. There's the girls that love it because they've had a great amount of it in their lifetime,_ he looked out the corner of his eye to see such a girl, with her friends, giggling insanely squeaky giggles.

_And then there are those that haven't been that lucky in love,_ he looked to his opposite side, to see a disgruntled girl, all by herself, look at her assignment in disgust and throw it in the trash.

_I guess I fall under that category,_ he thought at he rounded the corner. _Having Kagura chase me with a wedding dress isn't very lucky. And that's the reason that I have a negative feeling about Valentine's day._

_Well, it's not the only reason._

Kyo had to stop, and he frowned. There were two people blocking his locker – a boy and a girl. The boy happened to be making out with the girl (going to second base a number of times in five seconds) and as luck would have it, they were blocking his locker.

Sighing in annoyance, he walked up to the two and shoved them over (surprisingly, their lips never lost contact with the others). Opening his locker, he started to exchange books from the morning for afternoon textbooks. While he kicked off his shoes, he started to think it over again.

Lately it hasn't been so bad. What with Tohru being around all the time …I'm not as negative as I used to be. The curse isn't bugging me as much. But why do I feel like a moron every time I'm around her? Sometimes I'm a blubbering idiot! Who would fall for a blubbering idiot?

He slammed his locker shut and made his way to the front door, sitting on the curb as he tied his shoes. And who dubbed Valentine's Day the day of Love, anyway? Who said the Saint was being all that nice? Maybe the 13th is the annual bake sale for his abbey and no one liked his chocolates so he dumped them on the ugly chicks, thinking "Oh Nobody Likes Them Anyway – Being Fat Won't Change Anything?"

"So, can we expect you at home tonight?"

Kyo nearly jumped out of his skin when Yuki's voice entered his ears. He glared up at the boy standing beside him. "Probably not," he answered.

Yuki shrugged. "Thought so. Just wanted to make sure.'

With that, he walked off without another word.

Kyo bit his lip as he watched his retreating back. Another weird thing. Yuki and I haven't gotten into a fist-fight for a good five months. Hell, we've argued, but nothing too serious or physical.

Staring down at his feet, he suddenly thought, Am I getting soft? Is that what love does? It makes you weak? … hold on a sec, who says I'm in love? And with Who!

Bubbly laughter filled his ears, and he turned around.

Tohru was walking by with her friends, heading towards the cafeteria for their lunch. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the orange haired boy, and took the time to face him, smile and wave.

A blush rose to his cheeks. His heart sped up, sending heated blood throughout his body – and yet he could barely lift his arm to weakly wave back.

_Why  
do you always do this to me?  
Why  
couldn't you just see through me?  
How come,  
you act like this, like you just don't care at all?  
Do you expect me to believe  
I was the only one to fall?_

The pair of eyes stayed connected until she disappeared around the corner.

_I can feel  
I can feel you near me  
Even though you're far away  
I can feel  
I can feel you baby  
Why…_

So, Kyo, feeling confused and hot, stood up and ran outside to play soccer with his classmates, trying to take the girl off his mind.

8-------8

The local soccer club had a meeting after school that day, and they gladly allowed Kyo to join them (so he wouldn't have to head home). Once practice was done, and the boys showered and began to head home, the sun had already set. Kyo waved goodbye to the last of the members and he headed down a street towards home.

Maybe Kagura's gone by now. Her school's having regional testing tomorrow or something. She wouldn't have stuck around that long.

Down the dark streets he went, his mind racing through everything it had thought during lunchtime. Watching couples in restaurants and walking hand in hand beside him only made him more confused. Thoughts about Tohru finishing her test early got him thinking oddly, too. How could she have finished so fast? Maybe she was in love and that's why it came easily? … if so, with who?

The idea of her being in love with Yuki made his heart ache. And the idea of them in the same position as the couple that blocked his locker made him want to hurl.

_It's not supposed to feel this way  
I need you  
I need you  
More and more each day  
It's not supposed to hurt this way  
I need you  
I need you  
Tell me  
Are you and me still together?  
Tell me  
Do you think we can last forever?  
Tell me  
Why_

This is driving me nuts, he thought. I love her. I know it. But I don't want to be feeling like this just because I'm in the "spirit of the season". I want it to be real. Which it is. Or is it? Aw crap.

He slowed to a halt – in front of a gourmet chocolate store. The smell nauseated him (chocolate is poison for cats) but he couldn't help looking in the window anyways.

There was the normal display of Valentine's chocolates; chocolate hearts, cupids, wedding bells … and then there was some odd stuff. Like smiley faces, and they even had sushi replicas.

And sitting in an open display of gold foil was a chocolate Onigiri.

It was made from a mold, but it looked pretty realistic. White chocolate for the rice, and milk chocolate for the seaweed strip.

Biting his lip as his mind debated what to do, he thought, I should get that for her. Just to show I care, you know? But what if she doesn't feel the same? … Then it'll be a gift from a friend. Yeah, a friendly valentine's day present.

So, he sucked in a deep breath and entered the store, not saying a word as he ordered one chocolate Onigiri to go by pointing at the tray of Onigiri in the glass display (he was too scared to inhale the scent and feel sick). Then, he ran out of the building, and ran around the corner-

- only to slam into Tohru.

They both yelped and jumped back quickly, waiting for Kyo to turn into a cat as their minds raced with excuses to tell bystanders – but nothing happened.

As they looked at each other in surprise, Kyo said, "Must've not had enough contact."

Tohru smiled in relief. "Yeah, guess not."

Kyo straightened up, and grabbed his purchase off the ground when he dropped it. "What are you doing out this late?" he asked.

"Well, um, Yuki said that you were going to stay at school, and take the long way home, so I wanted to meet up with you."

His red cheeks began to clash with his hair, and he mumbled, "R-Really?"

To his surprise (and delight) Tohru was pink in the face as well. "Yes – I-I wanted to talk to you."

Kyo stared dumbfoundedly for a moment, not expecting this at all – but his common sense got the better of him. "It's dark out – couldn't it have waited till I got home?" As the hurt look on her face surfaced, he quickly said, "N-Not that I don't want to hang out with you, It's just that there's some really creepy guys out there, you know?"

She watched him, expressionless, for a moment. Then, she smiled again. "Thanks for worrying about me, Kyo." And then she moved her hand forward and wrapped it around his.

Instinct told him to lower his head, since the heat in his face was overpowering him. "N-No problem."

"C'mon, let's go home."

8-----8

The conversation on the way home was a little awkward. He had no idea why Tohru was so wound up, but he knew that if he didn't let go of her hand soon, he'd turn into a cat because of stress. But he didn't want to let go. He enjoyed the feel, even though it scared him. He never imagined being this close in contact with Tohru, yet here they were.

Changing the subject for the fifth time, Kyo asked, "So, you got your essay done already?"

Tohru nodded. "Yeah. It was easy for me."

Kyo tilted his head. "How come?" Why! Why Ask That Of All Things! Idiot!

"Well," she started to swing the arm that connects them a bit, rocking it back and forth as they walked. "I always felt that Valentine's Day wasn't always about lovers. When I was little, my mom always got me a bag of valentine's candy and I always got it for her, too. And I'd make it for my grandpa and other relatives. It's not always about romantic love – it's a day of companionship, no matter what kind of relationship."

_Hey  
__Listen to what we're not saying  
__Let's Play  
__A different game than what we're playing  
__Try  
__To look at me and really see my heart  
__Do you expect me to believe  
__I'm gonna let us fall apart?_

Suddenly, she let out a nervous laugh, and said, "Not that I don't believe in romantic love, or anything."

Kyo suddenly felt daring, and said, "Never said you didn't. … I … I got something for you."

Tohru blinked rapidly and came to a halt. "Wh-What?"

He finally let go of her hand, only to hold her palm up. He placed the bag in her hand and said, "Happy Valentine's Day, Tohru."

And before she could even have a chance to open the gift, he leaned forward and placed a soft, sweet kiss on her lips.

_It's not supposed to feel this way  
I need you, I need you, I need you ..._

_8--------8_

Fin

Song: "Why" by Avril Lavigne

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